The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations require the Department of Engineering (CUED) to assess all risks to health and safety in the workplace hazards and to record the significant findings of assessment. The CUED will ensure that any risks identified are reduced to a minimum, so far as is reasonably practical.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that hazards are identified and risks are assessed in areas under their control.
Supervisors must ensure that:
- risk assessments are recorded and retained for any significant hazards
- risk assessments are suitable and sufficient
- staff are aware of and understand relevant risk assessments
- risk assessments are reviewed periodically
The Departmental Safety Office will arrange for the provision of such information, instruction and training as is necessary to enable staff adequately to assess the extent and nature of hazards and risk.
Staff, researchers and visitors have a duty to follow the training and instructions that they have been given and to bring perceived risks to the attention of management.
Risk assessment requires the full co-operation of all working within the Department.
Risk assessment process
Identify the hazards associated with a procedure and consider who may be exposed and what is the maximum possible exposure to that hazard. Include storage waste, disposal and cleaning, if appropriate.
List existing control measures.
Consider emergency procedures (including first aid).
If further control measures are required, list and set actions.
Work must be suspended if a significant risk to health is identified.
Review the assessment if significant changes are made to the workplace or the procedure. In any case, review at intervals of not more than three years.
Generic risk assessments may be found on the Departmental Safety Office website. Where relevant, these may be downloaded for use by an assessor, or used as a template if changes are required.
Copy all completed risk assessments to the Local Safety Co-ordinator and Departmental Safety Office.
Procedures involving chemicals, lasers, biological agents and radioactive substances will require specific risk assessments. Guidance for risk assessments for these and others such as manual handling, display screen equipment, work equipment, working at heights, electrical safety, can be found in the Safety Procedures section of the Safety Website.
Additional risk assessments may be required for persons at enhanced risk e.g. lone workers, new and expectant mothers and young persons (see relevant sections in Safety Procedures).
Once hazards are adequately controlled, the findings of the final risk assessment and the protocol can be combined to form a documented safe system of work.
An example of a completed risk assessment where the primary hazards are physical can be found here.